In a previous blog entry (Airbus Crashes — Boeing Soars) I made fun of Airbus. That’s always good sport.
I now have a follow up to the above post. It’s gotten worse for Airbus. Much, much, much worse. I direct my reader(s) to http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/5103642.stm to read the latest. BAE is bailing on Airbus, the French Government wants to rework the accord that prevents government interference because the feel the need to interfere, the stock has dropped another 26% — though soon it won’t much matter as 26% of zero is still zero. (Here’s more on Airbus thanks to D. Higgins: Misery at Airbus)
I gloat at the misery of Airbus. Schadenfreude at its finest. I’ve never had the need to use that word in a sentence until now.
Yeah, go ahead, order an A380. You want to know what’s going to happen now? They’re going to want that plane out on-time without any more delays. So they’re going to rush it. The government will be involved. They will cut corners to deliver on time. There will be flaws. Deadly, fatal flaws. Think it won’t happen? Airbus had similar situations with the A320.
From Wikipedia: early crashes, including the Air France A320 crash during an airshow in Habsheim, France, on 26 June 1988, dented the image of the A320 and its new computer-controlled fly-by-wire technologies. The cause of the crash remains in dispute, as the investigation was hindered by the tampering of essential evidence. Officially, the crash was attributed to pilot error. However, some suggest that the new computer systems and previously known deficiencies of the aircraft were the actual cause of the accident.
I’m always reassured to fly on a plane where the manufacturer tampers with evidence. I bet you are too. I go out of my way to avoid Airbus planes. It’s not just the shady company making the planes, but it’s the whole idea of fly-by-wire where there’s no actual wire. If the computer on an Airbus fails, there is no backup, and the plane will crash. Always. Boeing doesn’t have this stupidity in design. In an emergency, the pilot can actually fly the plane. I like when the pilot can override the computer.